Blueberry plant Named &#39;EB 12-19&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of blueberry plant, which is denominated varietally as ‘EB 12-19’ is described, and which produces a large to very large fruit, which is ripe for harvesting and shipment very early in the season, under the ecological conditions prevailing in Yanchep Springs, Western Australia.

LATIN NAME

‘Vaccinium Hybrid’

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

‘EB 12-19’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new, novel and distinct variety ofblueberry plant ‘Vaccinium Hybrid’ and which has been denominatedvarietally hereinafter as ‘EB 12-19.’

ORIGIN

The present variety of blueberry plant resulted from an ongoingdevelopment program which I have conducted to identify such plants. Thepurpose of this program is to improve the commercial quality ofblueberry plants and other species. To this end, I have made controlledhybrid cross-pollinations in order to produce plant populations fromwhich improved progeny are evaluated and thereafter selected.

The blueberry plant of the present application was originated by me andselected from a population of new plants growing at my farm and which islocated near Yanchep Springs, in Yanchep, Western Australia. The newvariety of plant was derived from a controlled cross-pollination of theseed parent, blueberry plant ‘8-19’ (unpatented), and a pollen parent,blueberry plant ‘8-1’ (U.S. Plant Patent Pending) during the 2009growing season. The pollen parent, blueberry plant ‘8-1’ is currentlypending before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office as Application Ser.No. 13/986,863 and which was filed on Jun. 12, 2013. The teachings asset forth in the pending U.S. Plant Patent Application are incorporatedby reference herein. The seed parent is characterized principally by anupright bush-type plant, growth habit, and which further displaysearly-season flowering and produces medium to large, very firm fruit.The flowering bloom of the plant is considered to be good. On the otherhand, the pollen parent, described above, is generally characterized bya spreading growth habit, and which further has a very early-seasonflowering date. Still further; the pollen parent produces very largefruit. In this regard, seed from the seed parent, identified above,produced approximately 1,000 plants following cross-pollination. Fruitfrom these new plants were first observed in 2011. I further studied thefruiting and growth habits of the newly discovered plant. A subsequentassessment conducted during the 2012 growing season led me to select thepresent variety for further evaluation. The subsequent evaluationincluded an asexual vegetative propagation, by cuttings, and whichoccurred during the 2013 and 2014 growing seasons. Subsequentevaluations of the newly derived plants has led me to conclude that thepresent variety is a distinct and new variety of blueberry plant. Thepresent new variety of blueberry plant is considered to be novel in viewof its semi-upright bush-type growing habit, large to very large fruit,and which have an excellent flavor and a noteworthy exterior appearance.The present new variety of blueberry plant displays an early floweringcharacteristic and a very early date of harvesting relative to theclosest known varieties.

In comparison to the seed parent, the new variety has a noteworthy dateof fruit maturity. In this regard, the seed parent is considered to havea fruit maturity date which is considered early in the season. However,the new variety of blueberry bush produces fruit which are mature forharvesting in the very early season, under the ecological conditionsoccurring in Yanchep, Western Australia. Still further, the seed parentproduces fruit having a fruit size which is considered medium to large.In contrast, the new variety of blueberry plant produces fruit which areconsidered large to very large under the ecological conditionsprevailing in Western Australia. In addition to the foregoing, thegrowth habit of the seed parent is considered to be upright. This is incontrast to the growth habit of the new variety of blueberry plant whichis only considered semi-upright. Both the seed parent and the newvariety produces fruit having a fruit shape which is considered to beglobose.

In comparison to the pollen parent, the new variety of blueberry planthas a fruit maturity date which is very early in the season, and whichis similar to that of the pollen parent. The fruit size as produced bythe pollen parent is considered very large for the species. On the otherhand, the new variety of blueberry plant produces fruit which areconsidered large to very large for the species. The growth habits of thepollen parent and new variety of blueberry plant are different. In thisregard, the pollen parent has a spreading growth habit as opposed to thesemi-upright growth habit, as displayed by the new variety of blueberryplant. Further, and with respect to the fruit shape, the pollen parentproduces a fruit having a globose fruit shape as compared to aglobose-flattened fruit shape as produced by the new variety ofblueberry plant.

The present and new variety of blueberry plant is readilydistinguishable from the most closely related variety, which is the‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant (unpatented). In this regard, the closestknown variety ‘Sharpeblue’ has a fruit maturity date, which isconsidered to be early to mid-season under the ecological conditionsprevailing in Yanchep, Western Australia. In contrast, the new varietyof blueberry plant, has a fruit maturity date which is considered to bevery early in the season. Still further, the closest known variety,mentioned above, produces fruit having a fruit size which is consideredto be only average for the species. In contrast, the new variety ofblueberry plant produces large to very large fruit, and which aredistinguishable from that of the closest known variety. In addition tothe foregoing, the closest known variety has a growth habit which isconsidered to be bushy to spreading. This is in contrast to the newvariety which has a growth habit which is considered to be semi-upright.Still further the closest known variety produces fruit having a fruitfirmness which is considered only average for the species. However, thenew and present variety of blueberry plant produces fruit having a fruitfirmness which is considered to be very firm, and readilydistinguishable from the closest known variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are provided, are color photographs ofthe new blueberry plant.

FIG. 1 illustrates the growth habit of the new variety of blueberryplant ‘EB 12-19’.

FIG. 2 shows the fruiting, and flowering characteristics of the presentnew variety of blueberry plant.

FIG. 3 shows a portion of a vegetative stem showing the growth habit ofthe leaves; one leaf showing the dorsal coloration thereof, and severalfruit produced by the present variety.

The colors in the aforementioned photographs are as nearly true as ispossible in a color representation of this type. Due to chemicaldevelopment, processing and printing, the leaves and fruit depicted inthese photographs may or may not be accurate when compared to the actualspecimen. For this reason, any future color references should be made tothe color plates and descriptions provided, hereinafter. Common colornames are also occasionally employed.

NOT A COMMERCIAL WARRANTY

The following detailed descriptions were prepared to solely comply withthe provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, and does not constitute a commercialwarranty (either expressed or implied) that the present variety will, inthe future, display the botanical, horticultural or othercharacteristics as set forth hereinafter. Therefore, this disclosure maynot be relied upon to support any future legal claims including, but notlimited to, breach of warranty of merchantability, or fitness for anyparticular purpose, or non-infringement, which is directed, in whole, orin part, for the present new variety of plant.

-   Plant: Referring more specifically to the botanical features of this    new and distinct variety of blueberry plant, the following has been    observed during the sixth fruiting season under the ecological    conditions prevailing at my farm, and which is located near Yanchep    Springs, Western Australia. Common color names are also occasionally    used.    -   -   Plant vigor.—Considered strong for the species. This is in            contrast to the pollen parent as earlier identified, and            wherein the plant vigor is only considered medium on            average. This is still in further contrast to the closest            known variety ‘Sharpeblue’, and wherein the plant vigor is            considered medium to strong.        -   Plant growth habit.—Considered semi-upright. This is in            contrast to the pollen parent, discussed above, and which            has a growth habit which is considered to be spreading. This            is also in contrast to the closest known variety            ‘Sharpeblue’, and which has an upright growth pattern.        -   Average size of the plant.—Considered large for the species.            About 1.8 meters in height and about 1.2 meters in width.        -   One year old shoots.—Color: Green (RHS 144B).        -   One year old shoots.—Internode Length: Considered medium to            long.-   Leaves:    -   -   Leaf length.—Considered medium to long for the species. This            is in contrast to the closest known variety ‘Sharpeblue’,            and which has medium to long leaves; and that of the pollen            parent, which produces medium length leaves. The average            length of the leaf is about 68 mm.        -   Leaf width.—Considered broad to very broad for the species,            about 49 mm.        -   Leaf shape.—Generally speaking it is ovate.        -   Leaf color.—Dorsal Surface: Green (RHS 139A).        -   Leaf color.—Ventral Surface: Green (RHS 133C).        -   Leaf color intensity.—Considered average for the species.        -   Leaf marginal edge.—Generally considered entire.-   Flowers:    -   -   Flower bud.—Coloration: Anthocyanin coloration is weak.        -   Open flower coloration.—White (RHS NN155C).        -   Flower length.—Generally — About 13 mm.        -   Flower width.—About 10 mm.        -   Inflorescence.—Length — Considered average for the species.        -   Corolla.—Shape: Urceolate.        -   Corolla.—Size: About 10 mm in length, and about 10 mm in            width.        -   Corolla tube.—Coloration: Anthocyanin coloration of the            corolla tube is considered absent or only very weak.        -   Corolla tube.—Surface Texture: Ridges are present on the            corolla tube.        -   Vegetative bud burst.—Generally considered very early.        -   Flowering on one year and older shoots.—Considered very            early for the species.        -   Flowering time on current year's shoots.—Considered very            early.        -   Intensity of bloom.—Considered very strong.-   Fruit:    -   -   Fruit cluster.—Generally — Considered medium to dense for            the species.        -   Ripe fruit color.—Yellow/green (RHS N144C).        -   Unripe fruit color intensity.—Considered average.        -   Fruit size.—About 22 mm in diameter.        -   Fruit shape.—Longitudinal sectional view — oblate.        -   Sepal orientation.—Considered erect to semi-erect.        -   Sepal type.—Considered straight.        -   Calyx diameter.—About 6 mm.        -   Calyx basin depth.—Considered deep for the species, about 2            mm.        -   Fruit skin coloration.—Black group (RHS 203D).        -   Fruit flesh coloration.—Green (RHS 138D).        -   Seed coloration.—Brown (RHS N200A).        -   Fruit firmness.—Generally — Considered very firm.        -   Fruit sweetness.—Pleasant and viewed as high, or to very            high.        -   Fruit acidity.—Low for the species.        -   Fruiting type.—Typically seen on one year old and current            season shoots.        -   Beginning of fruit ripening on one year old            shoots.—Considered very early for the species.        -   Beginning of fruit ripening on current year's            shoots.—Considered very early.        -   Harvesting date.—In late November under the ecological            conditions prevailing in Yanchep, Western Australia.        -   Resistance to insects and diseases.—No particular            susceptibilities were noted. The present variety has not            been tested to exposure to detect any susceptibilities or            resistance to any known plants and/or fruiting diseases.

Although the new variety of blueberry plant possesses the describedcharacteristics when grown under the ecological conditions prevailingnear Yanchep, Western Australia, it should be understood that thevariations of the usual magnitude, and characteristics incident tochanges in growing conditions, fertilization, pruning, pest control,frost, climatic variables, and horticultural management are to beexpected.

Having thus described and illustrated my new variety of blueberry plant,what I claim as new and desire to secure my plant letters patent is: 1.A new and distinct variety of blueberry plant, substantially asillustrated and described and which is characterized principally as tonovelty by producing a fruit which matures very early in the season, isconsidered large to very large, and wherein the plant has a semi-uprightgrowth habit, and which is further harvested very early in the seasonunder the ecological conditions prevailing near Yanchep Springs, WesternAustralia.